Whitby RNLI volunteers assist in cliff rescue of stranded walkers.

The volunteer crew were paged at around 1.54pm on Monday (10 October) to reports of two persons cut off by the tide on the beach under steep cliffs in Whitby.

Within minutes the inshore lifeboat was launched and the crew quickly located the pair of walkers who had been found by the Coastguard teams also involved in the rescue.

Initially it was decided, with the fast approaching and large tide, that the quickest option was to get the two casualties on board the inshore lifeboat and return to harbour.

Lifejackets were put on the casualties and they were helped into the waiting lifeboat.

However as weather conditions continued to worsen, the volunteer crew worked with the Coastguard team to assess the situation. Together, they determined the safest option to retrieve the casualties would be for the Coastguard team to winch the pair up the cliff instead of by lifeboat.

Helm Andy Cass said: 'We train regularly for situations like this and despite the challenging conditions, we were able to keep control of the lifeboat and most importantly keep our crew and casualties safe.'

'We remained on standby while the Coastguard winched the casualties up the cliff and thanks to them for their co-operation in the rescue.'

He added: ‘This particular stretch of beach often catches people out as the tide approaches quickly and there is no way to exit the beach due to the steep cliffs. We would remind anyone out walking to check the tide times, always carry a means of calling for help and allow plenty of time to reach a safe exit point.’

RNLI volunteer crew member Matt Sharpe said: 'It was a challenging shout but it reminded me how incredible our equipment is at helping to keep us safe alongside the in-depth training we receive.'

For more information contact Lifeboat Press Officer Ceri Oakes on 07813359428 or at [email protected]

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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

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